#DS3Unscripted #BelayaxPierce #LKCouple #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER 25: STAR

BELAYA'S POV

"It's another mask."

Si Axel ang siyang nagsalita na kakapasok lang ng conference room dito sa Dagger. Kumpleto ang magkakapatid. Thorn and Gun took their wives home before going here. "There's two masks to be exact."

Binigay ng lalaki ang hawak niya na flash drive sa kapatid niya na si Coal na isinaksak naman iyon sa nakabukas na laptop sa harapan niya na konektado sa malaking monitor sa harapan ng conference room.

"We needed to pry it open. Dinikit niya ang dalawang mask sa isa't isa." Axel took control of the computer and he showed the picture of the box that I received. Sa loob no'n ay kita ang tragedy mask ni Melpomene. Sa sumunod pa na larawan ay kita kung paanong sa likod ng unang mask ay naroon ang isa pa. Thalia's comedy mask. "The tragedy mask usually convey a person's darkest emotions while the comedy mask is a symbol of human's foolishness."

Ginapangalan ng kilabot ang katawan ko nang makita ko ang sumunod na larawan. It's an image of the back of the comedy mask with a word written on it. "Careful."

"I want to see the list," Pierce said through gritted teeth. "Axel narrowed it down, right? Nasaan ang mga report mula sa mga pinasundan natin? Anyone without an alibi at the night that someone went into my property and anyone without an alibi tonight should be a suspect."

"Jhonas Larson, Kaiser De Leon, Joshua Miller, and Brandon Romero," sagot ni Domino. Tumayo siya at lumapit sa salamin na pader ng conference room at sinulat doon ang mga pangalan na binanggit niya. "These are the men that have no alibis during the visit at your house. We're still waiting for the reports of the Bolsters that we dispatched tonight to guard the others on the list and those that we're still not taking off including this four."

"I-Is that warning for me?"

Lahat ng mga mata sa kuwarto na iyon ay huminto sa akin. Naramdaman ko ang kamay ni Pierce na humawak sa akin pero maging iyon ay hindi nagawang kalmahin ang takot na nagsisimulang bumalot sa akin.

"This is an obsession. That's how stalking works. He's obsessed with me. Ang gusto kong malaman ay kung magagawa niya rin ba akong saktan?"

"The possibility of the situation escalating to violence is highly possible," Axel answered for the others.

"Why?"

"He wants you. If he can't have you he won't allow you to be with anyone else. That could lead to you being hurt or someone else that is involved with you."

Kinuyom ko ang mga kamay ko. I know what he's implying. "You mean someone I'm involve with romantically or someone that he thinks that is with me?"

Hindi siya nakasagot agad pero ganoon pa man ay nakikita ko na ang kasagutan sa mga mata niya. Sinubukan kong bawiin ang kamay ko kay Pierce pero humigpit lang ang pagkakahawak niya ro'n. I looked at him but his head is turned to his brothers. "Do we have the CCTV footage at the Arkaville's restaurant? Doon dinala ang regalo. Ang sabi ng manager akala raw nila ay para kay Lucienne iyon.

"Not yet. Spine point's are still trying to clean the image. Hindi ganoong kalinaw iyon. We'll send it to you after." Muling tumipa si Axel sa laptop na nasa harapan niya. "We also have more suspects added to the list."

I don't know how they're going to do this. I remember once when I heard Ate Vodka and Kuya Ram talking about one of their case. They do this too. They try to narrow down the list but sometimes there's no way to shorten them. Minsan mas dumadami pa iyon. Ang nangyayari ay mas nahihirapan sila at mas naglalabas din sila ng resources para sa trabaho na iyon. When the list is too long then the case will take more time.

My back straightened when I saw the picture on the monitor. Nagsimulang kumunot ang noo ko nang makita ko pa ang isa pang larawan.

"Why are they part of the list?" Lumingon sa akin si Pierce at nagtatakang tinignan ako. "The first one was my last manager."

"Manager?"

"Yes. The one who stole from me then tried to hurt me. That's why I have Sebastian now." Bumuntong-hininga ako. I need to tell Pierce about him anyway. Baka nga alam na nila. I think they covered a lot of bases and one of that is investigating everyone around me. Sigurado akong maging si Sebastian ay kasama roon. "Sebastian served in the army. He didn't want to be my manager but after what happened with Darel Torres, my old manager, he actually considered working for me. Hindi lang bilang manager ko kundi bodyguard ko na rin in a way."

Not one of them looked shock. That confirmed it to me. Pinaimbestigahan din nila si Sebastian.

"He hurt you?" Pierce asked, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Tried. Darel didn't got that far."

"And the other one?"

Muli kong tinignan ang isa pang larawan. I really don't know why he's one of the suspect. "What's happening? I don't even know him that much."

"He's been sniffing around about your case."

Napalingon ako kay Axel na siyang sumagot sa akin. "Why?"

"That's what we wanted to know."

I met him maybe twice. He was mentioned to me a couple of times but I don't really know him.

"Who is he, Belaya?" tanong ni Pierce.

"He's Andreev Sokolov, the employer of Sebastian's sister, Lauren."

Axel started writing on his notepad. "Lauren Chavez?"

"Yes."

"She was an actress too right?"

Napatingin ako kay Thorn na siyang nagsalita. Did they investigated her too o nakasama lang siya dahil kay Sebastian? "She was for awhile but right now she's part of an events company. We actually met on a project."

"What was that project?" Axel asked.

"My first theater job." Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kanila. There's something circling around them... like a silent communication. I may not be around them that long for me to know them that well but I can feel then tension building around. "She's not part of this."

Naramdaman kong pinisil ni Pierce ang kamay ko dahilan para mapatingin ako sa kaniya. "There's nothing wrong with making sure."

"It's impossible. She's my friend."

"She was in contact with you at the night of the attack. She was also the one you last talked to at that time that you saw someone outside of Pierce's house," Gun said, speaking for the first time.

"Wala siyang dahilan para gawin 'to."

"Except after that theater job she didn't got any more roles. It was the end of her short career. You on the other hand was getting theater projects from left to right but you didn't accept them."

Sunod-sunod na umiling ako sa sinabi ni Axel. "That's not enough reason-"

"Andreev Sokolov, Lauren Chavez' employer started investigating your case. He's Chavez' boyfriend."

"He's not."

Hinarap sa akin ni Axel ang laptop niya. I bit the inside of my cheek when I saw a picture that Andreev Sokolov apparently posted a week ago. One with him and Lauren on a restaurant.

Wala siyang kahit na anong nabanggit sa akin tungkol sa kaniya. All I know is that he's her boss. She was always telling me how infuriated she was with the man. Why didn't she tell me?

"She could have used him to get to you. He has money," Coal said while looking at me.

"No," I whispered.

Lumuwag ang pagkakahawak sa akin ni Pierce hanggang sa pinakawalan na niya ng tuluyan ang kamay ko. He didn't let me go that long because I felt his hands on my shoulders.

"Let us make sure," he whispered, his eyes gentle. "It's going to be okay."

NAPATINGIN ako sa labas ng bahay nang mahagip ng mga mata ko si Pierce na nakaupo sa mahabang sofa na nakalagay sa porch ng bahay niya. Bumaba lang ako para sana uminom ng tubig. I haven't slept a wink though I pretended that I was. Kaya nga alam ko na bumaba kanina lang si Pierce.

Imbis na magtungo sa kusina ay tinahak ko ang daan palabas ng bahay. His head immediately turned to me when he heard the door opened.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"No."

Lumapit ako sa kinaroroonan niya at umupo ako sa kabilang parte ng sofa. I looked down at the table in front of us and I saw that there's a glass there and a bottle of alcohol.

"What's that?"

"Bourbon." Kinuha niya ang kopita at uminom doon. "Gusto mo?"

I shrugged and I reached for it. I threw back the remaining contents of the glass. Nalukot ang mukha ko nang maramdaman ko ang pagguhit no'n sa lalamunan ko.

"You're not much of a drinker," he noticed.

"Not really or at least not that kind." Ibinalik ko sa kaniya ang baso at sinalinan niya iyon ulit nang kaunti. "You're drinking on duty."

"Just a little. Do you mind?"

Umiling ako at binigyan ko siya ng maliit na ngiti. "Nah."

He didn't say anything more. Nanatiling tahimik lang din ako na nakatingin sa malawak na pool na nasa harapan namin. He's probably tired and I am too.

"You knew I wasn't sleeping," I said after awhile.

"I wouldn't leave you if you were."

I know he wouldn't. When he found out about the nightmares, he avoided going out of the room when I'm in it. Minsan dinadala na lang niya sa kuwarto ang trabaho niya. Umaalis lang siya kapag alam niyang umaga na at mahimbing pa rin ang tulog ko.

Nilingon niya ako at sandaling pinagmasdan niya ako. "I know you don't want to talk about it."

Hindi ako sumagot pero alam kong naiintindihan niya. He's always been like that with me. Like sometimes... he understand me more than anyone ever did.

"Charlotte called." Napalingon ako sa kaniya at bago ko pa mapigilan ang sarili ko ay kusang umangat ang kilay ko. The corner of his lips went up with my obvious reaction. "She wanted me to drop your case."

Sandaling naumid ang dila ko. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin sa kaniya at sa halip ay muli kong tinutok ang mga mata ko sa harapan namin. "I'm not surprise."

"You're not?"

"Maybe she's right. Maybe you should drop the case." I can feel the weight of his eyes on me. I turned to him and I met his stare. "This can be dangerous for you and you have a son."

"Our job is always dangerous."

"But this is different."

"It's not."

"Ayokong masaktan ka dahil sa akin. God forbid that anyone will get hurt again because of me."

Something crossed his eyes but before I can hide it from him, I felt his hand reached for my chin. Inangat niya ang mukha ko na para bang sinusubukan niyang basahin ang nilalaman ng mga mata ko.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," I quickly answered.

"Kitten..."

"It's nothing."

He looked at me for a moment, his gaze is on me in a way that it felt like as if he's trying to memorize every bit of my face. Pagkaraan ay pinakawalan niya ang baba ko pero hindi niya ako hinayaang tuluyang makalayo dahil naramdaman ko ang kamay niya na inabot ang akin.

"I can take care of myself," he said.

"Of course you can."

"You don't believe me?"

Bumuntong-hininga ako. "Alam kong kaya mong protektahan ang sarili mo. I just don't want you to have any reason to."

"It will always be like this. Hindi lang sa'yo kundi sa iba pang mga trabaho na hinahawakan namin."

"Then why would your ex ask for you to drop it if this is like your other cases?"

"Because it's your case." Sa pagkakataon na ito ay siya naman ang napabuntong-hininga. "You met her. Alam mo kung anong klaseng ugali ang meron siya. Matagal na nang maghiwalay kami but she has a way to ruin my day."

"Why?"

"Because she's Charlotte and she was put in this planet to gave me grief?"

Despite everything and the current state of my emotion, I can't help but smile with his choice of words.

"I haven't asked but you don't need to answer it-"

"Why did I got involved with her?" Nang bahagyang tumaas ang kilay ko ay umangat ang sulok ng mga labi niya. "Hindi ikaw ang unang magtatanong no'n kung sakali."

"I bet," I said with a small smile. "So?"

Nagkibit-balikat siya at sumandal siya sa kinauupuan niya. My eyes dropped to our joined hands when I felt him rub his thumb at the back of my palm in a relaxing circle.

"She was good in bed."

I guffawed at his answer. Tinakpan ko ang bibig ko pero hindi ko nagawang pigilan ang tawa na nais kumawala ro'n. Pierce clearly thought what he said was funny too because he shook his head at me.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm not going to lie to you." Napapakamot sa ulo na lumawak ang ngiti sa mga labi niya. "I was a smart kid. I had better grades than Axel. But men can be stupid. Specially if they're using their other head instead of the one attached on their necks."

"So you mean it was lust?"

I'm not going to judge him for that. Sex is important too in a relationship. It's hard to stay in one if you're not sexually compatible.

"It was at first for the both of us. It was supposed to be casual, but it's not hard to like her. We were dating exclusively and at that time I needed someone. She gave me that. Alam ko kung anong ugali ang ipinapakita niya ngayon but before she could be really sweet and funny."

I felt something stir in me. Something that is close to being territorial. The sex part didn't brother me. I'm not stupid. I know he's not a virgin and that Arctic is not conceived through a miracle. What's bothering me is the thought that if Charlotte is still with him... then he might not be here with me.

At least not this way.

"Pero bakit kayo nauwi sa hiwalayan?"

"She cheated on me with someone that has bigger pockets than I have."

Nanglaki ang mga mata ko sa naging sagot niya. Of all the things...

"At that time she was already pregnant with my child. She tried to abort Arctic but she wasn't successful. I threaten to sue her so she didn't try again."

Kumuyom ang mga kamay ko. That bitch. "Nasaan iyong isang lalaki?"

"He dropped her. He wasn't even serious with her."

"Serves her right. She's a bitch but karma's the Queen Bitch." Huminga ako nang malalim at pagkatapos ay humalukipkip ako. "I can't believe she cheated on you."

Kumunot ang noo niya sa naging tono ng boses ko. "Why? Mahirap bang paniwalaan na kaya rin na mangaliwa ng mga babae?"

I rolled my eyes at that. "Everyone can cheat, but not because they can means that they should. So no. I don't believe that only men have the ability to do that. Everyone that doesn't have enough decency and has an incomparable ignorance can. I just can't believe that someone can cheat on a man like you."

"What kind of man am I?"

My man. "A man that no sane woman should let go of."

He didn't speak for a moment but when he did there was something in his voice that resonates in me. "I can say the same thing to the men that let you go, Kitten."

"Why?"

"They traded artificial lights for a star that can light up the sky even if everything else disappears in the galaxy including the sun."